Foreign Language Placement Exam

Who should take the online Foreign-Language Placement Test?

All newly admitted Bachelor of Arts majors and Bachelor of Science majors who are interested in studying Chinese, French, German, or Spanish at Norwich must take the FLPT (Foreign Language Placement Test).

Whether you are continuing with a language that you studied at school or learned at home or want to start with a new language at Norwich, for you to be enrolled in a language course, it is required that you take the FLPT for the language that you intend to study at Norwich. If you are a new learner, your score will place you appropriately and inform us of the language you wish to study.

Students enrolling in our language courses often have varied foreign-language backgrounds. We have students take the placement test so that our language courses will have students of approximately the same level in each section. This makes learning and teaching more effective and enjoyable.

The Modern Language Requirement for the B.A. and Foreign-Language Placement

To fulfill the modern language requirement, you need to successfully complete either:

12 credits of the same beginning level language in sequence (one six credit CN/FR/GR/SP111 and one six credit CN/FR/GR/SP112) or

One six-credit CN/FR/GR/SP 112 or

Three-credit 206 (usually taken after completing three-credit course 205) or one three-credit 300 level course in modern language. [Only courses taught in the foreign-language count towards fulfillment of the modern language requirement.]

If you place into 112 then you only need to take one 6-credit course (112) to complete the foreign language requirement in spring. If you place into SP205, then you only need to take one 3-credit 205 level course in fall and one three-credit 206 level course in spring to complete the requirement. If you place into beginning 111, you complete the requirement by taking a 6 credit 111 course in fall and 6 credits of the same language (112) in spring.

Advantages of Developing Foreign-Language Proficiency

The US military, federal agencies including the CIA, FBI, INS, and Homeland Security, business, industry, research institutes, schools, and universities are interested in those who are proficient in a foreign language and can appreciate cultural diversity. The US has learned from Asian and European competitors that the language of business is the language of the customer. The importance of international affairs continues to increase as globalization expands. Chinese and French are particularly strategic for the military at this time.

The more language courses you successfully complete in a foreign-language (e.g., a language minor or major), the more you will have to offer prospective employers. It is therefore important that you take the language placement test and place at a level that will enable you to make the most progress while a student at Norwich.

For additional information about each language, check out the pdf files at: http://libarts.norwich.edu/modern-languages/.

Language Placement Exam Instructions:

The test generally takes anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes. Do this test unaided and make sure not to turn back a page once you start the test or the test is invalidated!

Go to the site (link is below) and bookmark that page or copy and save the exam site url. (You will need to return to the exam site after you complete the exam to log back into the site and view your results.)

Choose the language that you wish to study at Norwich from the drop-down menu, even if you have never taken it before.

Use this password to log in to the exam site: cadets1 (lowercase and the numeral one)

Fill in your name, Norwich A00 ID number, email address and the information on the online questionnaire about how much language study, if any, you had of that language in high school and middle school or in other colleges.

Note: You will need to use your Norwich ID number after you have completed the exam to log back in to the site and view your results.

Answer the Practice Question and press the “Submit Answer” button. The real test will start after you submit your practice question answer.

To see and print your results:

Log back into the test.

Complete the top part of the survey: Enter your name, ID and Email address.

Press the Resume button.

Your results/score and placement will be displayed.

Test-Taking Tips:

The order of the questions does not necessarily proceed from easy to difficult. The more difficult questions may appear at the beginning of a test. When you get a passage or sentence that may appear difficult at first take your time, and try this strategy: Look for the vocabulary words that you recognize and read the question carefully to see what you are supposed to be looking for. You don’t always have to know all the words to eliminate possibilities and get the right answer!

Question instructions appear below the question box.

Importance of viewing the entire test page: You need to see the bottom of the window to be able to select your answer (a, b, c, or d).

Remember: DO NOT use the browser’s back button when you are on the exam site.